The Brief
- A so-called ‘steamnado’ appeared over Lake Lewisville during this weekend’s North Texas winter storm.
- The arctic winds from the storm caused a tremendous amount of steam to appear over the lake, and when swept up by the winds, it creates a vortex.
- The phenomenon comes as North Texas cities saw anywhere from 1 to 5 inches of snow during the extreme arctic blast the region began to experience on Friday, Jan. 23.
LEWISVILLE, Texas – Here’s something you don’t see every day: a ‘steamnado’ made an appearance over Lake Lewisville on Sunday during the winter storm.
A vortex of steam
FOX 4 chief meteorologist Dan Henry says this phenomenon is somewhat common when arctic winds move in.
He explains that it’s a vortex caused by arctic air blowing over relatively warm waters, which causes a tremendous amount of steam.
As the air converges, it causes a vortex of steam over the lake.
It’s also known as a steam spout.…